Refrigerated vegetable display case and spray system



Dec. l2, 1950 1, s. BQQTH 2,533,913

REFRIGERATED' VEGETABLE DISPLAY CASE AND SPRAY SYSTEM Filed Aug. 4, 19492 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jai/7 5. oof

IN V EN TOR.

\ ATTORNEY Dec. 12, 1950 s, BOOT 2,533,913

REFRIGERATED VEGETABLE DISPLAY 4 CASE AND SPRAY SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Aug. 4, 1949 INVENTOR. John 5. ooh

ATTRNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1950 REFRIGERATED VEGETABLE DISPLAY CASE ANDSPRAY SYSTEM v John S. Booth, Dallas, Tex. Application August 4,1949,'Serial No. 108,617

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to refrigerating equipment and it has particularreference to a refrigerated vegetable display case and spray system.

Automatically refrigerated vegetable display cases have not hithertogained popularlity with consumers and merchants of fresh vegetables dueto desiccation by the absorption coils of the refrigeration machine.Hence, water ice refrigeration, even though there exists the danger ofover-saturation, has remained the more popular method of merchandisingfreshvegetables, irrespective of the disadvantages, such as thehandling, preparing and replenishment of the ice; inadequate facilitiesfor chilling or pre-cool ing of the water which is used to spray thevegetables and other objectionable features.

The principal object of the invention is to combine the advantages ofautomatic refrigeration and water spray in the preservation andmerchandising of fresh vegetables to maintain their crispness anddelectability. As a means of accomplishment, the vegetables are arrayedon shelves in an insulated and automatically refrigerated cabinet andsprayed with precooled water at predetermined intervals throughelectrically operated means.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention hasparticular reference to certain features of accomplishment to becomemanifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing; wherein:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a fresh vegetablemerchandising case constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View, taken on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a detail elevational view of one of the water spray leadsand its mounting.

Figure 4 is a diagram of the wiring for operating and controlling thecirculation of air in the display case.

Figure 5 illustrates schematically the refrigverating system of thedisplay oase, and

Figure 6 discloses schematically the water distributing system of theinvention.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, referencenumeral Hl denotes generally the display case, having insulated walls l!and a sheet metal lining i2. Glass paneled doors i3 are hingedly mountedin the lower and slightly inclined upper portions of the front wall ofthe case.

A false bottom I4 in the case Il] denes an elongated refrigeratingcompartment l5, coextensive with the bottom of the case and in whichfrz-89.5)

is disposed a substantially flat absorption coil i6 such as described inU. S. Letters Patent No. 2,442,719.

At each end 0f the case l0 is disposed a plate il perpendicular to thefalse bottom It. These plates constitute inner end walls extending fromfront to back and from the top to the false bottom of the case anddefine vertical air ducts it, each in communication with therefrigerating compartment l5. A series of horizontal rails it areattached to the inner surfaces of the lining i2, in vertically spacedrelationship, and are coextensive with the display compartment in theupper portion of the case, defined at the ends by the plates Il. Theserails are arranged in pairs and each pair supports an open rack 2t, onwhich are arranged the fresh vegetables to be displayed.

In each of the end plates il, immediately below each display rack 2t,there is a transverse slot 2l. The slots in one plate are directlyopposite like slots in the companion plate so that ir will circulate inthe direction of the arrows in Figure 1 and thus iniuenced in the mannerto be presently explained.

At one end of the refrigerating compartment l5 is situated a housing 22which contains a motor 23. This motor operates a pair of blowers 2li(Figure 4) to cause air to be drawn longitudinally through the case byway of the slots 2i in the plates il and discharged through therefrigerating chamber i5 across the coil It therein. A thermostaticswitch 25, controlled by a bulb 2t, which latter is disposed adjacent tothe intake of the blower 2&3, determines the temperature of the airwithin the upper portion of the case by opening and closing the circuit2l to the blower motor 23.

The refrigeration system revealed schematically in Figure 5 isconventional, and since its function is well known to those versed inthe refrigerating art, a description thereof is considered unnecessary.

Referring now to the spray system disclosed and shown schematically inFigure 6, a pipe 28 is secured by brackets 29 to the rear wall of thecase immediately below the lowermost rack 20 (Figs. l and 2). This pipeconstitutes the precooling chamber for water to be sprayed onto thevegetables arranged on the Vseveral vertically spaced racks.

Water from a municipal tap enters the precooling chamber 28 by means ofa tube 29' kaft er first passing through a manually actuated valve 30and a solenoid controlled valve 3l. A

time switch 32 of conventional manufacture is connected, as shown inFigure 6, with the solenoid 33 and predetermines its periods ofenergization, during which the valve 3l is opened to the passage ofwater through the tube 29. The valve 30 remains open as long as thesystem is required to operate. The valves 3E] and 3l, the solenoid 33and the time switch 32 may be installed interiorly or exteriorly of thecase l0, as desired.

The precooling chamber 28 is disposed in the case at a point where thetemperature is not too low nor too high but adequate to lower theVtemperature of the incoming Water suiiciently to chill the sameYpreliminary to spraying the Vegetables on the racks 2i. From theprecociing chamber, the water passes through a tube Sii and continuesthrough a exible tube 35 connected to the end of tube 34 at one end ofthe case. The tube V35 conveys the water upwardly and into a tube 36,suspended by means of longitudinally spaced brackets 37 (Figure 3) fromthe top of the case.

At spaced intervals along the pipe on tube 36 and also suspended by thebrackets 3l" is a series of spray heads 33. These spray heads 38 may beof any suitable design but each is shown as having an adjusting screw 39to determine the neness of the mist precipitated onto the vegetables.When the spray heads 3B are functioning, the mist emanating therefrom iscaught up in the current of air being circulated through the uppermostdisplay compartment and is conveyed thereby into successively lowercompartments to be thus deposited uniformly on the enl tire display ofvegetables and after serving its purpose, the water is disposed ofthrough the drain 40 (Figure 1).

The produce is accordingly maintained in a fresh and crisp state forindeiinite periods at controlled temperatures. The preoooled or chilledwater precludes wilting or discoloring the vegetables which would occurif the water were sprayed thereon at ordinary tap temperature.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of somemodification and Number 4 such modification as may be construed to fallwithin the scope and meaning of the appended claim is also considered tobe within the Vspirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a vegetable cooling and moisturizing case,

the combination comprising a case having a display front, a displaycompartment and a series of vertically spaced vegetable display racks insaid display compartment, a false bottom in said case defining arefrigerating compartment, an absorption coil in said refrigeratingcompartment, a wall at each end of said display compartment spacedinwardly from the ends of said case and dening a vertical air duct ateach end of said case in communication with said refrigeratingcompartmenusaid end walls each having a series of vertically spacedhorizontal slots effecting communication between said air ducts and saiddisplay compartment, thermostatically controlled means for causingcirculation of air through said refrigerating chamber, air ducts andlongitudinally of said display racks through said horizontal slots, awater precooling chamber below the lowerrnost of said display racks, aseries of spray heads above the uppermost of said display racks, meansfor supplying water to said precooling chamber vto be conveyed to anddischarged by said spray heads in mist form into the air circulated insaid case and distributed thereby throughout said display compartmentand time controlled means for predetermining the operative periods ofsaid spray heads.

JOHN S. BOOTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,908,968 Forman May 16, 1933 2,000,440Forman May 7, 1935 2,152,291 Starr Mar. 28, 1939 2,243,958 Hermann June3, 1941 2,442,719 Booth June 1, 1948

